Catheters are used extensively in the medical field in various types of medical procedures, as well as other invasive procedures. In general, minimally invasive medical procedures involve operating through a natural body opening or orifice of a body lumen, or through small incisions, typically 5 mm to 10 mm in length, through which instruments are inserted. In general, minimally invasive surgery is less traumatic than conventional surgery, due, in part, because no incision is required in certain minimally invasive procedures, or the significant reduction in the incision size in other procedures. Furthermore, hospitalization is reduced and recovery periods are shortened as compared with conventional surgical techniques.
Catheters may be provided in a variety of different shapes and sizes depending upon the particular application. It is typical for a clinician to manipulate the proximal end of the catheter to guide the distal end of the catheter inside the body, for example, through a vein or artery. Because of the small size of the incision or opening and the remote location of the distal end of the catheter, much of the procedure is not directly visible to the clinician. Although clinicians can have visual feedback from the procedure site through the use of a video camera or endoscope inserted into the patient, or through radiological imaging or ultrasonic imaging, the ability to control even relatively simple instruments remains difficult.
In some procedures, such as electrophysiology, the surgeon manually places the distal end of an extension, such as a catheter, at a site of interest in the patient's body. The distal end of the catheter can be coupled to an energy generator to treat the site of interest. Alternatively, or additionally, the catheter can be connected to a detector which receives signals from the distal end of the catheter for diagnostic purposes. The catheter is typically connected to a handle that includes control devices such as dials that enable the surgeon to articulate the catheter, and thus, to maneuver the catheter through the patient.
In view of the above, some have proposed using robotic tele-surgery to perform minimally invasive procedures. Typically, these robotic systems use arms that reach over the surgical table and manipulate the surgical instruments inserted into the patient, while the surgeon sits at a master station located a distance from the table and issues commands to the arms.